GENERAL PROPERTIES OF THE SPINAL CORD. 277 



vulsive movements in the lower extremities, without pain. 

 The same irritation was applied to the deep portions of the 

 anterior columns with like results ; i. e., convulsive move- 

 ments in the lower extremities, following the irritation im- 

 mediately. 



The above-mentioned phenomena were fully verified by 

 repeated experiments, and the animal was then killed by 

 section of the medulla obloiigata. 



The general movements accompanied by evidences of 

 pain were readily distinguishable from the local convulsive 

 movements with no pain. 



This experiment fully confirms the observations of Chau- 

 veau with regard to the posterior columns, but shows, in 

 opposition to Chauveau, that the anterior columns are ex- 

 citable, both at the surface and in the deep portions. The 

 recent observations of Yulpian are also opposed to the re- 

 sults obtained by Chauveau with regard to the antero-lat- 

 eral columns. From a number of carefully-executed experi- 

 ments, Yulpian draws the following conclusions : 



" 1 . The gray substance is absolutely inexcitable. 



"2. The anterior fasciculi possess a certain degree of 

 motor excitability. 



"3. There is no doubt that the posterior fasciculi are 

 very excitable. They are sensitive and excito-motor if the 

 cord be left intact, and simply excito-motor if the cord be 

 divided transversely and separated from the encephalon. It 

 is the same, but to a less degree, in that portion of the lat- 

 eral fasciculi contiguous to the posterior fasciculi." 1 



In the face of definite and positive experiments showing 

 the excitability of certain portions of the cord, it is impos- 

 sible to accept the purely negative results obtained by Chau- 

 veau and others. This remark applies to recent experi- 

 ments made by Huizinga, carrying out the observations of 

 Yan Deen, in which he assumes to show that the anterior 



1 YULPIAX, Lemons sur la physiologic generate et comparee da systeme nerveitx, 

 Paris, 1866, p. 362. 



